The present invention relates to a device for feeding a liquid to an animal, wherein the device comprises a nipple member, a reservoir for the liquid, a passage having an extension between the reservoir and the nipple member, feeding means arranged to allow a supply of liquid through the passage to the nipple member, and control means arranged to control the activation of the feeding means.
Such devices are used for feeding a liquid such as, for example, milk or a liquid foodstuff made up from a powdered milk concentrate mixed with water to young animals. The young animals may be calves, lambs, young pigs etc. However, it could be difficult for a very young animal to suck liquid from the reservoir to the nipple member. Therefore, a pump has been arranged in the passage in order to contribute to the transport of the liquid from the reservoir to the nipple member when an animal sucks the nipple member.
DE 298 05 682 U1 shows a device for providing animals with a liquid foodstuff. A pump is here arranged in a conduit between a reservoir containing the liquid foodstuff and a nipple. In one embodiment described in this document, a pressure sensor is arranged in the conduit. The pressure sensor is arranged to sense the pressure in the conduit when a calf sucks the nipple. As soon as a lowered pressure arises in the conduit, the pressure sensor is arranged to initiate activation of the pump. Since the calf only needs to produce a small negative pressure in the conduit for starting the pump, it is not certain that the nipple is in a correct position in the mouth when the pump starts. If the nipple is not in a correct position in the mouth, the risk is obvious that the liquid foodstuff, which is supplied to the nipple, wholly or partially flows out from the mouth. In a second embodiment described in this document, the activation of the pump is manually accomplished by a switch. An operator has here to be very observant in order to initiate a start and a stop of the pump when the animal has the nipple in a correct position. Furthermore, such a manual control of the pump requires great staff resources.